Electric switch



April 15, 1930. sPLlTTBERGER 1,755,083

ELEGTR'IC SWITCH Filed Feb. 10, 1928 I-i .2. 23 g Invenlor Arthur Splittberger His Afforneg Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR SPLITTBERGER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC swrron Applicatioii filed February 10, 1928. Serial No. 253,435.

My invention relates to improvements in electric switches and more particularly to improvements in switches known to the art as disconnecting switches whose purpose is to isolate electric apparatus, such as oil circuit breakers and the like, usually without the necessity of interrupting any current.

Such switches, however, often have to carry heavy currents and in order to prevent opening on the magnetic stresses which then occur, it is usual to provide some form of latching means for restraining the movable switch member or blade in the circuit closing position.. Before the blade can be moved to the circuit opening position, this latching means must be released and one of the objects of my invention is to provide a latching mechanism which is equally adaptableto single or doublethrow switches and which can be readily released in the operation of opening the switch by a continuous movement in the switchopening direction which first releases the latching mechanism and then opens the switch. v

My invention will be better understood from the following description when consid ered in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a double throw disconnecting switch embodying my invention: Fig. 2 is a-front elevation of the switch shown in Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mech anism adjacent a stationary contact drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1: Fig. 4 isa sectional elevation on the line 44 of Fig. 3

showing the latch in its blade holding position: Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 but shows the latch moved out of the blade holding position; and Fig. 6 shows in perspective an operating member for releasing the latch and opening the switch, constructed in accord ance with my invention.

The switch chosen for the purpose of illustrating my invention is of the double throw type and comprises two suitably insulated stationar contacts 10 and 11 between which is pivotal y mounted as at 12 a suitably insulated movable contact member or switch blade 13 so as to be actuated to engage either of thestationary contacts. The blade 13 may be, as shown, of the so-called trussed type in order to provide the necessary strength and comprises two blade parts which in the circuit closing position straddle one or the other of the stationary contacts 10 and 11.

In order to prevent the blade from flying open under the electromagnetic stresses which are set up in case of heavy currents such as short-circuits and the like, I provide latches 14 associated with the contacts 10, 11. Each of these latches is pivotally mounted near the side of the contact away from the blade pivot for movement transversely of the blade as will appear more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. In the embodiment of my invention shown, the latch 14 is mounted on a pivot 15 carried in a suitable housing such as the structure 16 which is suitably secured to the terminal block 17 The housing 16 also comprises a stationary ribbed portion 18 which is opposite the latch and acts to prevent side play in the blade upon the circuit closing movement so that the blade 13 will push the latch out of the way withoutany tendency to be displaced itself. The latch 14 is suitably biased to a position to hold the blade 13 in its circuit closing position and for this purpose a spring 19 mounted inthe housing 16 may be employed. According to my invention the latches 14 in the case of double throw switches are mounted on opposite sides of the line joining the contacts 10, 11. For guiding the end of the blade in its movement to circuit closing position, blade guides 20 may be provided as is well known to the art.

In order that the latches may be released on the opening movement of the blade, each latch is provided with a lug 21 on the side of the latch away from the contact and projecting from the latch substantially perpendicular to the plane of its movement. Each of the lugs 21 has an inclined face 22 which diverges from the blade 13 in the direction of the opening movement thereof.

For releasing the latch an opening the switch, I provide an operatin member% which has an eye portion into W ich the hook at the usual switch o erating red or stick may be inserted. As shown, the operating member 23 is bifurcated and is pivotally mounted on the free end of the blade and arranged to have a limited movement relatively thereto. For this purpose, the end or extension of the blade 13 may be of a flattened V-shape and the inside face of the operating member between its bifurcations shaped as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. In case of double throw switches, each of the bifurcations of the operating member 23 is provided with a lug 25 or 25 projecting transversely of the blade and arranged in the respective paths of movement of the lugs 21 on the latches 14. The lugs 25, 25 are opposed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and each has an inclined face 26 which cooperates with the face 22 of the lug 21 on the latch 14. Consequently, on movement of the operating member 23 in a direction to open the switch, the lug 21 on the latch 14 holding the blade 18 in circuit closing position is engaged by the cooperating lug 25 or 25 on the operating member 23 to move the latch 14 from the blade holding position whereby the blade is free to be moved to the circuit opening position on further movement of the operating member in the switch opening direction.

While the operating member 23 as shown is constructed for use in double throw Switches, it will be obvious that it may be used for single throw switches since the latch releasing 111g 21 not in use is not in the way of any moving parts. In the case of single throw switches, the operating member 23 if desired may be made with but one latch re= leasing lug 25.

Referring now to Fig. 1 which shows the switch in the upper circuit closing position with contact 11 and held by the latch 14-, the process of openingthe switch is as follows: The book of the usual switch operating red is inserted in the eye of the operating member 23. Upon pulling the ro in the switch opening direction, the operating member 28 moves clockwise about its pivot 27 on the switch blade 13 until the inner face of the bifurcated portion of the operating member abuts the outer leg of the V-shaped end of the blade; During this movement the face 26 of the operating member lug 25 abuts the face 22 on the latch li1g2l. These two inclined faces, tending to slide over each other, result in a movement of the latch 14 about its pivot 15 to the blade releasing position. Further pull on the switch operating rod in the switch openin direction results in the movement of the bill-dc 13 to the switch opening position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The blade may then be moved over center into enga ment with contact 10 where it will be held rom opening by the latch 14 associated with this Contact. his latch may be operlted for release in substantially the same manner as set forth in connection with the latch associated with the contact 11. The only difference is that in this case the opposing lug on the operating member engages the lug 21 on the latch 14; associated with the contact 10.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an electric switch of the class described, a stationary contact, a pivoted switch blade arranged in circuit closing position to engage said contact, a latch pivotally mounted near the side of the contact away from the blade pivot formovement transversely of the blade and biased to a position to hold the blade in the circuit closing position, a lug on said latch on the side thereof away from the contact projecting from the latch substan tially perpendicular to the plane of movement thereof, an operating member pivoted on the free end of the blade arranged to have a limited movement relative thereto, and a log on said operating member projecting transversely of the blade and in the path of movement of the log on the latch and arranged on movement of the operating member in a direction to open the switch to engage the lu on the latch and thereby to move the latch from the blade holding position whereby the blade is free to be moved to the circuit opening position on further movement of the operating member in the switch opening direction.

2. A double-throw switch comprising two stationary contacts and a cooperating switch blade pivoted therebetween, a latch associated with each contact and pivotally mounted near the side thereof away from the blade pivot for movement transversely of the blade, said latches being on opposite sides of the line of said contacts and biased to a position to hold the blade in circuit closing position with the respectively associated contact, a lug on each latch on the sidethereof away from the contact projecting from the latch substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement thereof, an operating member mounted on the free end of the blade and arranged to have a limited movement relative thereto and opposed lugs on the operating member rojecting therefrom transversely of the bla e in the respective paths of movement of the lugs on the latches and arranged on movement of the operating member in a direction to open the switch to engage the lug on the latch holding the blade in the circuit closing position and thereby to move the latch from the blade holding osition whereby the blade is free to be moved to the circuit opening position on further movement of the operating member in the switch opening direction.

3 In an electric switch of the class described, two stationary contacts, a switch blade pivoted intermediate the contacts and arranged to be actuated to engage either thereof, a latch associated with each contact and pivotally mounted near the side thereof away from the pivotal point of the blade for movement transversely of the blade, said latches being on opposite sides of the line of said contacts and biased to a position to hold the blade in circuit closing position with the respectively associated contact, 2. lug on each latch on the side thereof away from the contact projecting from the latch substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement thereof, a bifurcated operating member pivoted on the free end of the blade and arranged to have a limited movement relative thereto, and a lug on each of the bifurcations of the operating member projecting transversely of the blade, said lugs being in the respective paths of movement of the lugs on the latches and arranged on movement of the operating member in a direction to open the switch to engage the lug on the latch holding the blade in circuit closing position and thereby to move the latch from the blade holding position whereby the blade is free to be moved to the circuit opening position on further movement of the operating member in the switch opening direction.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of February, 1928.

ARTHUR SPLITTBERGER. 

